A Decade of Change

The day after Thanksgiving, we went to my Father n Law's house for dinner. Before we ate, we all gathered in the kitchen, held hands and one by one, we each said something we were thankful for this year. What am I most thankful for this year? Well, as I stood there, I looked around at this small portion of our rather large family, I thought: CHANGE. Wow, change! It's not something that we typically embrace with a happy heart. However, change is good for us! If you will allow me, I'd like to share a story of change that occured within my family. About 10 years ago, my Father n Law, married a wonderful lady named Rita. He started to go to church with her and he accepted Christ and was baptised. He and Rita started praying for their children and grandchildren. Kim, my sister n law, started taking her children to church in January of 1999. In February, the next month, Kim's daughter, Tara Lynn, accepted Christ and wanted to be baptised. I believe she would have been 9 or 10 at the time. So, then, I went to church with Kim, to see Tara be baptised. The following week, I accepted Christ. Kim had already accepted Christ and was being baptised in March. I was supposed to have been baptised on the same day, but my husband worked at the airport and could not be there, and I really wanted him to be there. So, we scheduled my baptism for the following month. I hated waiting, but I really wanted him there! Well, in the next month, he too, accepted Christ and so we scheduled his baptism for the same day as mine, and we were baptised, arms locked together, husband and wife, as one. I will never forget that day. We were changed the moment we accepted Christ, we were changed the day we were baptised, and we continue to change this very day. Some of it has not been an easy road, down right hard for that matter! But as I stood and listened to each of us give our thanks, I realized that in ten years, God has done a lot of changing for this one family. Jimmy and Rita, took their family, layed them at Jesus' feet, and prayed for them. Prayer changes lives. Jimmy and Rita were coming over from Birmingham every month from that point forward, because someone in their family was being baptised! Their children and their grandchildren! God continued to work through us and our prayers to reach many others in our family that year. My parents, my sisters, our friends, my Mother n Law, my family who lives in Houston! 800 miles away, and God is changing them as well! God is about change. He doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But he is continually changing us to become the creation that He meant us for. He changes our hearts and our relationships! I am so thankful that He changed my life and continues to do so. Ten years ago, I would not have known that these things were possible in our family. This next year, 09, will mark the ten year anniversary for many of us in our family, a decade of change! I cannot wait to see what change God will bring for the next decade! So, as we experience change, even when it is hard, even when we're not sure how it is going to all work out, let's have a humble spirit and embrace it! Remember, that God knows! He is changing our hearts and our relationships! Remember to Pray! Pray! and Pray some more! Our God can move mountains, and he has given us the power to move mountains as well! Our prayers are heard and they do make a difference!

I've got my mind set on you...

George Harrison was setting his mind on someone... and it was gonna take money and time. Lots of money and precious time, to get it right. Well... we aren't gonna sing that song! But, we are gonna look at ourselves, and ask,

What do we have our minds set on? and

What is it gonna take to get it right?

These scriptures were in my study last week and I started writing down some things that came to my mind, (that dangerous place!), and I thought that I would share them with you.

Daniel 10:12,

Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.

Daniel set his mind on gaining understanding...of what?

Back in chapter 9:2, he says,

I, Daniel, understood from the scriptures, according to the word of the Lord, given to Jeremiah the prophet...

The Scriptures!

Daniel set his mind to gain understanding of the scriptures. He had studied the word of the Lord that was given to Jeremiah the prophet. As these things that Jeremiah had foretold, were coming to life before Daniel, he knew what was happening, because he had set his mind to gain understanding of the scriptures. Daniel was a man of the Word.

Daniel set his mind to humble himself before God.

Next, in Daniel 9:3, it says, I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him, in prayer and petition, in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes.

He studied the Word of the Lord. He understood what was happening to his people and in the culture around him. He had knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. So, he humbled himself before God, on behalf of his people, the people of Israel, pleading with Him to have mercy on them and forgive them of their sins. He begged God to hear his prayer and act! He fasted and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes. He was deliberate in his prayer and he set aside time. He set his mind to humble himself before God. Daniel was a man of prayer.

I don't know who George Harrison had his mind set on, but I know who I want to set my mind set on! As we see things happening around us in the culture we live in, we have got to be deliberate about setting our mind on gaining understanding and humbling ourselves before God. Like Daniel, we can be men and women of the Word! We can be men and women of prayer!

Next, we'll look and see what it's gonna take to get it right!

Have a good day!

I can't get no SATISFACTION! Part 2

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your sould will delight in the richest of fare! Give ear and come to me: hear me, that you soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. What must we do to receive these things? God says: COME! Count On Me for Everything! You have been invited to come, free of charge, not because there isn't a price, but because the price has already been paid! Jesus Christ, God's only son, came to this earth and took on all sin, for all people; past, present and future, and died on the cross so that the price for our sin would be paid in full. He is our Water, He is our milk, He is our bread of life, and He is our wine! If you are reading this today, and you have never accepted the invitation to Come to the water, I pray that today, right now, you will. When we come to the water, Christ Jesus, gives us new life in Him. He restores our soul, and He cleanses us from all sin and makes us pure before God, our Heavenly Father, so that when we leave this earth, we may go and be with Him, forever and ever. Maybe you are reading this today, and you have already come to the water; but you've never bought the milk, or the bread, or tasted the wine. He has so much more waiting for you! Buy the milk! Read His Word. Spend time praying and talking to God. Get to know God. As you learn who God is, your relationship with Him will grow stronger, and so will your faith. Buy the Bread! As you grow stronger, you will be filled with belief! You will trust Him and Count On Him for Everything, because you will start Believing Him! You will know what He says He can do, and you will know that He is ABLE! But that's not all! Taste the Wine! He wants you to experience Him and enjoy His presence! Happiness comes and goes with our circumstances and life is not always fun. But when we have learned to trust Him with everything, we will be satisfied in Christ through all circumstances. He tells us to Come, Give ear, Listen! So that your soul may live! Delight in the richest of fare! Call on the Lord while he is near! That. Is.Today. Today is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! We don't have to fix our problems. We don't have to work out a few issues. We don't have to get financially able. He tells us that our ways are not His ways nor are our thoughts His thoughts. He says to COME! Bring everything to Him! Listen to what He is going to do in your life. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; You Will sow seed for the sower and bread for the eater! You Will will accomplish and achieve the purposes for which you were created! You Will go out in joy! You Will be led forth in Peace! You Will NOT return empty! Let me say that again, YOU WILL NOT RETURN EMPTY! We buy and eat the things of this world, looking for things that will bring satisfaction to our lives. But no matter how hard we work, how much money we spend, or how much money we save!, It will not buy us joy or peace. Isn't that what we want? Some joy and peace in our life! COME, BUY and EAT the delights of the Lord. Taste what is good. Enjoy the pleasures that come from true joy and peace found only in our Lord, Jesus Christ. He has paid your bill in full! The mountains and the hills are bursting in joy! and The trees of the field are clapping their hands!

The Breads and Spreads ladies event was this past weekend. Thank you all for your prayers. It went well, and we had a great time! I thought I would post the lesson we had at the Breads and Spreads event for you. I will divide it into two parts. I hope you enjoy it!

I Can't Get no Satisfaction!

Isaiah 55:1 and 2

Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters,

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

We have received an invitation to COME.

There are two types of people being invited.

Thirsty and Broke (verse 1)

Physical- job loss, bankrupt, foreclosure, or just plain broke!

Spiritual- broken hearted, sorrow, pain, hopeless, frustrated, etc.

Thirsty and Resourceful- (verse 2)

This is a person of resources. This person has the resources to work

and to spend money, but this person is still left searching.

This person may not be facing an emotional or spiritual trial at this time,

but is still left with a void, a longing for more.

King Solomon went on a quest to find satisfaction in his life. To find the meaning of life.

You can read all through the book of Ecclesiastes and you'll see that he accomplished much, he denied himself nothing his heart desired, but in the end, it was MEANINGLESS!

It was A CHASING AFTER THE WIND!

When we look to the things of this world to bring us satisfaction, we are left feeling just as King Solomon did. So, no matter if you are broke, or resourceful, this invitation has been extended to you.

God is inviting you to COME!

God is inviting you to BUY!

there are four things we will look at today.

Water- A necessity for life! Water is needed for replenishment and re-hydration. It symbolizes life, recovery, and resurrection. In John 7:37-38, Jesus said, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." He gives us new life, he replenishes our soul, and he is the resurrection. Jesus is the Water!

Milk- Does the body good! We give milk to babies so that they will grow healthy and strong. When we study God's Word and spend time in prayer with him, we grow in our knowledge and understanding of Him, which strengthens our faith. It helps us to grow healthy and strong in our relationship with Christ. Jesus is our milk!

Bread- It fills us up, it satisfies, it completes our meal. When we eat a steak and potato, we like the roll to go with it! If you read John chapter 6 from the beginning, you will see that Jesus had just fed the 5000, with five loaves of bread and two fish. After Jesus left, the people started looking for him. When they found him, (verse 26), Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill." They they wanted to know about the manna that Moses had provided in the wilderness. Manna, was the bread from heaven that came to them every morning when they were in the wilderness. They wanted more miraculous signs. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life the world. verse 35, Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." Jesus is our Bread!

Wine- symbolizes the need to be happy! The need to be free! We all want to have some pleasure in our life, have some fun in our lives. God does not want us to Come to the water, Buy the milk and bread and then sit idle for the rest of our lives. He wants you to delight in the richest of fare. He wants you to enjoy being in his presence! He wants to bless you!

I encourage you to read along in your Bible as you read this. I couldn't put every scripture in this post, or it would take two pages! So, I just put the key verses and referenced the others. I will post the rest tomorrow! I hope you have a great day!

Love ya!

COME!

COME!

All ladies are invited to COME to the

Breads and Spreads Event

On November 8th, 2008

Beginning at 11am.

COME…

Celebrate Autumn,

Laugh with Friends,

Savour the delights

As you taste

Breads and Spreads.

COME…

Listen to what is good…

Hear so that you soul may live…

Learn how we can really live on bread alone.

New Vision Church

193 Johnson Ave

Fayetteville, Ga.

678-817-5777

Jesus Said, “I am the bread of life…” John 6:35

I have been BUSY the last few weeks! This Saturday is the ladies event at my church and I have been getting ready and preparing the lesson for this event, so I haven't had a lot of time to blog! After this is over, I promise, to post some pictures and update you on what has been going on! I will say this, my Grandma, which I call, Meemaw, came in from Houston with my Uncle Ted. We took a very quick trip to the mountains. Beautiful! We've celebrated my daughter's 12th birthday! We're on week 9 of Daniel! Wow! Lots of stuff! I'm excited about this weekend! If you're from around here, maybe you could come! Please pray that God would be glorified and that lives will be changed! Thank you so much, and I will post later! I pray you all are having a great week! Love ya!

Daniel Bible Study Part 1

Well, we finished part 1 of the Daniel Bible Study this week. What a great Bible Study! I have had such a good time getting together every week with all my Bible Study girls! We have learned alot, laughed alot and shared alot with each other! It has been great. I love going to Bible Study! When everything else doesn't make sense, God's Word does! What fun it is to share what we've learned all week and discuss how it applies to us. Even the bad stuff! I have seen a few things take place these past six weeks. I've seen women grow in their relationships with one another. I've seen women come together each week and pray for one another! I've seen women excited about studying God's Word and LEARNING! we have learned alot! I've seen God answer prayers that these women have lifted up to Him! I've seen God speak to us, teach us and change us! Here's a few things that I learned: God's sovereignty God is able to humble the proud God is actively involved in our lives God has declared me (us) a Holy Vessel and I (we) need to treat myself (ourselves) as such. God sets up and deposes, meaning, He gives and He takes away! When God has to do some pruning in our lives, even if there is nothing left but the stump, he will grow us back with healthy branches! God sees, God hears, and God knows, what happens to his people. He is the Ancient of Days! He has been here since before the beginning of time and He sits on His Throne. He is Judge. When we feel like things have happened and people have gotten away with stuff and the innocent is suffering, or if we feel like no one is standing up for us and fighting the battles for us, GOD IS! We can live in this culture and in this society and be relevant without letting it corrupt us. He has appointed us at this particular time, in this particular place, right where we are, to be DANIELS. Like Daniel, we can resolve to be consistent in our walk with Christ, to actively live out our faith, and to trust and believe that God is sovereign and He is able! I can't wait to start Part 2! Have a good week!

Tiny Hearts (UPDATED with Lyrics!)

Today is National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy and Infant Loss.

The song you hear playing is written by Robbie Lee. He and his wife are very good friends of ours. They loss of three babies due to miscarriage, and Robbie wrote this song for his wife, Christi, and gave it to her as a Christmas present. They have three children in heaven, and three here on earth; Christopher, Gabriel and Carolina.

You can visit the House of Thomas website http://www.houseofthomas.org/

For more stories of women who have lost babies and support, visit this site http://www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com/

I pray for each of us that have ever lost a child through abortion, miscarriage or birth, that we would find comfort in the fact that HE holds our Tiny Hearts; forever in that place. One day, we will all gather at the table...

Love,

Bridgette

Here are the lyrics to the song, Tiny Hearts.

Tiny Hearts Words and Music: Robbie LeeCopyright �2005 by Robbie Lee BMI All Rights Reserved [Verse 1]

As we stand here

Broken and confused

With our faces to the ground

To cover the fatal wounds

If only words can comfort now

I've got nothing to bring

But I know someone, yea I know someone

And He holds everything Days run in to nights and on tomorrow

But there's no need to cry because I know [Chorus]

There are three tiny hearts beating

Keeping time singing

With angels shouting, "Hallelujah!"Now,

He's taken them higher

And holding them tighter

Than we could ever long for

Our children say, "Daddy will we ever see them?"

Oh yes we will

When we're gathered at the table

A day when the heavenly host lead us in grace

And our hearts beat, they will always beat forever in that place [Verse 2]

If we could see beyond

Grey skies like a river running on and on

We would see what's shining and we would find

More love coming with open arms Lost in a world we don't belong

But there's one thing I'm sure we can depend on

[Chorus]

[Bridge]

Carolina's dancin' to the beat of Christopher's drum

Gabriel will you blow your horn tonight

Because we know [Reprise]

Three tiny hearts beating

Keeping time singing

With angels shouting, "Hallelujah!"Now,

He's taken them higher

And holding them tighter

Than we could ever long for

Three tiny hearts beating

Forever in that place

A Post about Nothing!

Well, it's been a crazy week! Lots of stuff going on. Good stuff and bad stuff. But, mostly good, because when I think about what all God has done and is doing in my life and in the lives of others, I realize, just how good He is! God is good all the time and all the time, God is good! So, I just wanted to take a moment to praise Him and thank Him for what He is doing! We have an exciting weekend coming up. We have family coming over from Alabama and they will be going to church with us on Saturday night. and as it turns out, Randy is able to play during the worship service Saturday night! Yea! They've never been able to really see him play so they are thankful too! We are going to my niece's soccer game on Sat. am and then my daughter Rebecca has a chorus concert Sunday afternoon. Busy weekend, but exciting!

This past weekend, Randy, Maegan and Mick, were able to play for a fundraiser event at Chick-fil-A in Jonesboro. They did a great job and it was their first "real" gig together! I'll post a pic or two! It is so neat to see them get to do this sort of thing. Since these opportunities have come up for my son, I've noticed a great change in his walk with Christ. He has some things he is putting together, which has in turn, lead him right to the scriptures and to Christ himself. He is really enjoying this. I'm sure I've mentioned this before; I pray that my kids would know that God is real, and that they would know this at a young age. So many times, we and kids, think of God as being far away in heaven somewhere. We know he is there, but he just seems too far away. When we can really grasp the understanding that he isn't just "the man upstairs", and that He is God and He is real, it helps us to make good decisions when we face temptation. We desire a relationship with Christ and we want to do what is pleasing to Him. Mick, the one that is alot older as Maegan so tactfully said at the show on Saturday!, has done a great job in helping Randy and Maegan learn the songs. He is older! He is an adult that attends church with us and he plays the drums. Randy asked him if he could play the drums for Him and Maegan and thankfully he was able! Randy and Maegan already had their songlist picked and Mick just jumped right in, learned the songs, and helped them in anyway he could! It is so encouraging to see him taking time to help them! Which brings me to the conclusion of this little blog post of nothing!

I am so thankful for the people that God has placed, not only in my life, but in the lives of my children! They have so many people, family and friends, who are there to help support them and encourage them to use their talents and gifts that God has given them. You know, when we are able to use our gifts that God has given us, we grow. When we hold back, and do not use our gifts, for whatever reason, it can keep us from growing into that which God has prepared us for. At church, we have a Wed. night praise band, where the youth are able to use their musical gifts and help lead worship for the youth group. We have several guitar players and singers, which rotate out every week. But, along side of them, are some adults, who work very hard to put together music for them every week and then not only that, they help them learn it and they spend time just encouraging them as they learn it. I watched them last week, and again, just so thankful, that God has put those adults in the lives of those teens. Here is a place, where they can come, express themselves, use their gifts and be accepted. With everything that they face in this world, I thank God, that they have this place to come to. These adults are not just there to play music, they are there investing in the lives of these young kids, teaching them about music, but along the way, these kids, are going to learn about who God really is and just how special they are to Him! He is so Awesome!

So, I guess this post really isn't about nothing...

I guess you could say that it's about everything!

Here's some pics! Have a great weekend!

Actively Involved

This weekend we were honored to attend a sweet sixteen birthday party. Her and Randy are good friends at church and they actually play together in the band. As I watched her family at this party, I saw how actively involved they are in their daughter's life. It was a beautiful party and her parents made it so special for her. Her Dad brought her up on the stage and read to her Proverbs 31. He spoke to her about being a Godly woman and how she was worth more than jewels to him, her mother and to God. Then he proceded to give her a pearl set and they helped to place the ring, necklace and bracelet on her. This was for her to remember that she is a jewel in the eyes of God. It was an absolutely beautiful moment. He then took her by the hand, led her down the stage and onto the dance floor where he danced with his daughter to the song; you guessed it!, Butterfly Kisses! Actively Involved! I can't tell you how many times we tell our kids these words, "We're all up in your kool-aid!" It is a little joke around here now! But you know, it can be challenging to be actively involved in our kids lives. The older they get, the more "privacy" they think that they need. Each child is unique and has their own special gifts and talents that God has given them. As parents, we want to help our kids accomplish goals in their lives and we want to see them succeed. We model for them how to act and re-act. We teach them how to build relationships with God and with others. We try very hard to be careful to let them become the person that GOD has created them to be and not what WE want them to be! Most of us parents want to see all the good in our children and love them and spoil them rotten! Our kids may not agree with the "It hurts us more than it hurts them" mentality! It isn't easy to disipline our children when they need it and it is even difficult at times to know how to disipline them. To be actively involved in our children's lives is sometimes challenging due to many different factors. I struggle to be actively involved in my children's lives. I make mistakes in guiding my children. I do not know the best way to handle every situation. I do not know the end result. In our Bible study last week we looked at the word Providence. According the Harper's Bible Dictionary this is what it says: "God has a plan and purpose for his world. Providence is not a principle of orderliness or reason; rather, providence is the will of the creator who is actively involved in moving his creation to a goal. History is not a cyclical process of endless repetition; history is being moved toward the predetermined end." How does that speak to you? He is actively involved in every detail of our lives. He does not make mistakes. He always knows exactly what to do. He knows the end result. With everything that is happening around this world, it comforts me to know that He, the God of the Universe, is in control! He is actively involved! He loves his children and wants to spoil them rotten! He also, doesn't like to disipline his children, but it is for their own good, even though they can't grasp the mentality of, "This hurts me more than it hurts you!" He is all up in our Kool-aid! The thing that I love most of all; is that, just like our children bring us joy, we bring God joy! He created us for a purpose. With a goal. He wants us to reach the finish line! He gives us everything we need so that we can. He is actively involved in helping us reach the finish line.

Prayer Warriors

This was a topic that came up a lot in my conversations and in my Bible Study this week. We're doing the Daniel Bible Study by Beth Moore. In the study, we took a close look at Daniel chapter 2 this week. In verses, 17-19, Daniel goes back to his friends and urges them to plead to God for mercy. You can read the text in the chapter to get a better vision, but they were facing execution by the King of Babylon unless God revealed to them the mystery of the dream of the king! So, picture something like that taking place in your life. Hopefully, you aren't facing execution by the king! Although there are many people in this world who are killed everyday for what they believe. As I am writing this, I am reminded to pray for the missionaries and the persecuted church around the world. There are many people who face death for choosing Christ. We are very blessed to be able to blog and talk openly about our faith, without worrying if it will cost us our life. I wonder if we would be as strong as Daniel and his friends. What made them so strong? In verse 23, He says to God, "You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king." Daniel and his friends, urgently sought after God, asking him for mercy, for wisdom, for knowledge. They worshiped him and praised him all through the night. It was during the night that the mystery was revealed to Daniel. When we face trials in our life, how do we react? Do we seek him urgently? Do we call on our prayer warriors and worship God and praise Him? Or here's a question, Do you have a group of prayer warriors? When I asked myself this question, I was trying to think, when is the last time, that I called on some people and we prayed together. Now, I am surrounded by people who pray for me. My husband prays for me. We have recently gotten a lot better at praying with each other and for each other. Which I am so thankful for! I know that the ladies in my Bible Study group are all praying for me and for each other. I feel very comfortable talking with them and sharing prayer request with them. I have friends and family that I know pray for me and I can call them anytime and request prayer. I have people who call me and request prayer and I pray for them. But, on a personal level, when you feel like you are being attacked, or something comes up with your job, or your children and grandchildren, or your health, how do you handle it. I feel that God is speaking to me that I need to be more personal in my prayer life. Oh, I love him! I praise Him! I worship him! I pray to him! But there are times, when I need to be very deliberate about seeking him urgently. I am guilty of saying, I'll be praying for you! I need to pray right then with them! Oh, it is hard! It is personal! It is pouring out our heart to God in front of others! What if I don't sound right or say the right words! Do you struggle with these same issues like me? Here's a little song that popped in my mind that I am sure you all know! It's Me, It's Me, O Lord! Standing in the need of Prayer! You all have a great week! I love Ya! Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king! Daniel 2:20-23

Thirteen Years!

Thirteen Years! That is how long Pat and I have been married! We took a little trip to the mountains this weekend. Friday morning, after the kids got on the bus, we left. My parents picked the kids up from school and the kept them until Saturday night. We had a great time! Saturday, we went riding around in the mountains. Tomorrow, Monday, will be our actual anniversary. I am so thankful for what God has done in our lives!

Our Inheritance Post #4

6. I am an heir of God. The will has been activated. When we lose a loved one, and there is an estate to be settled, we have to go to the reading of the Will. The Will tells us what is to be done with the things that were left behind. Lots (stuff, money, property) are portioned out to different people or organizations. Jesus Christ became and is our Will. He died on the cross, rose again, and the Will has already been activated! When the time has fully come... we will be given our Lot and Portion! 7. I am an heir of God. I can be secure! This is a very important topic here. Everyone, at one time or another, usually deals with Insecurity. Insecurity can lead to destruction! Our young girls today are dealing heavily with this because of the trends in the world that they are facing. Our culture says that we have to look a certain way, be a certain way, etc. Sex is promoted on everything these days, even shampoo uses it to advertise! (this is my own adding here, I buy Herbal Essence alot. I was in the tub and just started reading the back of the bottle and could not believe the way it was describing how to use the product. I was thinking to myself, I don't know if I want Rebecca, my daughter to read this! That's pretty bad, ya'll! We can't even buy shampoo for crying out loud!) Anyway, this type of stuff causes our young girls to be insecure in who they are as well. When we are Insecure, we usually tend to want two things: Affection and/or Affirmation. Here are some things that can happen because of this. unhealthy relationships putting other people up on a pedestal. talking about what all you have to do in such a way that it is a "chore" for you instead of serving. My preacher, always says, It's not a GOT TO, It's a GET TO! This is what Beth called Exhausted for Christ! This is a desire for affirmation and/or sympathy from fellow believers which can be caused by Insecurity. She also said, if we are exhausted and it is chore work, we need to look at what God is telling us to Let Go of. and We might just need to go to sleep! We can be secure in who we are because of Christ! We are co-heirs with Christ! We are Royalty! We have a beautiful inheritance.

Our Inheritance Post #3

4. I am an heir of God. The down payment has been made. The greek word for Deposit: Arrabon meaning: a pledge;a part of the purchase, money or property given in advance as a security. Modern Greek terminology uses it today when talking about engagement rings. We have an engagement that can not be broken! We are the bride of Christ! He's already given the down payment for our inheritance! We are sealed and we are His! He was and is the down payment for our property! He is our Portion! Here's the thing: We have the power to live in freedom because he has paid our down payment. He DIED for our freedom and for our inheritance! You have got to choose it! You have got to want it! Why do we choose to stay in that which holds us in bondage, when the down payment has been payed? What if: - We quit living like a victim - We no longer used our past as an excuse - We no longer quit trying to be someone else! These things were not said to condemn but to help set us free! We have the power within us, but we have to believe it! We have to know we have it and then believe that He is able and that He has called us! He loves us. He loves us! Let's make the decision today to start calling on that power within us, and choose to believe that He is able and make some changes in our lives! Let's choose to live in Freedom! Okay! next point! 5. I am an heir of God. My boundary lines form in pleasant places. What things form our boundaries? A. Intimacy with God- we will not go any further or higher than our intimacy with God. He wants to work in us. Never allow ministry to take away our intimacy. Do not use our quiet time to get ready for lessons. This is Your Personal time with God. B. Life Experiences- They help make us who w are in Christ. You have been given life experiences on purpose to help form you and help you grow stronger in your faith. Use you experiences to minister to others.(exp: workplace) C. Our Past- Some of us might have a past that we like to forget and pretend it never happened! God allowed it because He Knew what the outcome would be! He knows everything about you and he knew that he would use it to make Satan sorry! Your past does not compare to the Glory of God and His Purpose! Let him use your past for His Good and His Glory! D. Gifts- 1 Cor. 12:7 states that the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. He has equipped us to manifest His Presence! When you have been called, whatever it may be, it will be beyond you, you will need the Spiritual Gift that he has equipped you with to do whatever he has called you for! So, our boundary lines, fall in pleasant places! In the center of all that, we must have faith! We have to believe God to take over! Is God invading all of your boundary lines! Where is the enemy standing on your land? If God is not in every part, Satan is there! Your Intimacy with God, Your Life Experiences, Your Past and Your Spiritual Gifts! They are yours, Do not give PLACE to the devil! I will post the other three on Monday or Tuesday. You all have a great weekend!

Our Inheritance Post #2

Okay, Ladies! We're gonna get it through our heads, that we are an heiress of God! We have a beautiful inheritance! I will post 4 points today, and the next 4 on Friday!

1. I am an heir of God.

My life is not left to chance!

I love this! My life does not happen by fate. Everything that happens to us, (the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!), serves a purpose and works to the good of the Lord! The trials we face in this life are not for nothing. They are for a purpose! People, Places, things, EVERY detail. They are a part of our life and they help make us who we are. There are no chances! There are choices! HE can make it a beautiful inheritance! 2. I am an heir of God! I am inheriting a kingdom! Matthew 25:31-35 the kingdom is in us- but we are not yet in it. What are we supposed to do with it since we already have it in us? It's like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25- we are to multiply it. then when Jesus comes- we give it all to him. and then we recieve our inheritance. You see, Jesus lives in us. We have him already. His Holy Spirit dwells within us and His Power dwells within us. But we have not yet been assigned our property! We are not just going to exist in heaven! We are going to LIVE! like we have never lived before! We are to invest in the lives of people around us. Multiply it. Give it to Jesus. We will receive our inheritance. He is preparing for us a kingdom in Heaven where we will have real lives with real people! We will not be see through like ghosts! We will inherit: Presence! People! Property! 3. I am an heir of God. He is my portion.... (I will give you the rest at the bottom of this point) Deut. 10:8-9 The Levites did not receive a portion of land. They were set apart and consecrated to serve along side the priests. They were dispersed into the cities to help and to be a blessing to the others. Listen to what this says: That is why the Levites have no share or inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as the Lord your God told them. You see? The Lord is their Inheritance! The best thing we could inherit is Him! Now, Look at this: Deut 4:20- the Lord took you and brought you out of... to be the people of his inheritance. Deut: 32:9- For the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob, his allotted inheritance. Who's portion was that? (the Lord's!) What exactly was His portion?(US!) We are the Lord's Portion! Fill in that next part of the statement. He is my portion... and I am His! We are the new Testament priest of God! Through Christ, we have been set apart, consecrated and dispersed all over this planet Earth, to be salt and light to the world, to bless others, to multiply what Christ has given us! WE ARE LEVITICAL PRIESTS! Can you believe it! I just love this stuff! I think I'll stop here for now and let you soak all that in! Or let myself soak it in! Thank you all for letting me share my notes with you! It's getting me fired up again just reading them! I pray tonight as I finish this that all of us would read these and receive what Jesus has done for us. He loves us so much that we have been set apart! Our Life is not left to Chance! We are inheriting a Kingdom! He is our Portion...and We are His! AMEN!

Our Inheritance

Psalm 16 sometimes known as The Psalm of Confidence! I think we could all use a dose of confidence at times, couldn't we? This will look long, but it really isn't! I put the Psalm on here in case you don't have your Bible with you! Here it goes! Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay, You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. with eternal pleasures at your right hand. This is a beautiful Psalm. I love ending. We will however, focus on verses 5 and 6 for the message that Beth Moore brought us. Our Inheritance! We're gonna make our theology of Heaven our reality. We know that when we have accepted Christ, we are going to live with Him for all eternity in Heaven. The problem is, (if we're honest),we think that we are going to be bored. We make comments such as; "What are we going to do up there FOREVER!" "I'm not ready to go yet, because there is still stuff here that I want to do!" "Are we just gonna sing and sing and sing and that's all we are going to do?" "What are we going to look like?" Paris Hilton made a comment that the worst sin, would be for a princess to be boring! Well, maybe that's not exactly the truth huh? But, let's look at what God thinks of us. In Romans, 8:15-17, it tells us that we did not receive a spirit that makes us slaves again, we received the Spirit of Sonship! We are God's children! We are an heir of God. We are co-heirs with Christ himself! We are an heiress of God! Indeed, we will share in His Glory! If we could get it through our head: I AM AN HEIRESS OF GOD! We should not be boring! Salt and light are not boring! They bring flavor and help brighten up the world and lives around them! We should be as Salt and Light to the world! Never boring! Gen___INHERITANCE THEME___Rev 22:17,18 21:7 OLD covenant + (the cross) NEW covenant The inheritance theme was displayed throughout the OT and NT scriptures from Gen to Rev. Gal 3:8 refers to the gospel in advance in Gen. 22: 17,18. God tells Abraham to sacrifice his firstborn son, Issac. Abraham was faithful to obey God. God provided a ram that was caught in a thicket of thorns- that took the place of Issac. Abraham feared God and God provided for Him. God again spoke of His Inheritance. Look at the parallels from OT to NT. The gospel was being told even then. Ram and Jesus, innocent blood that took the place, thicket of thorns. COOL! When inheritance is talked about, there are always 3 elements: Presence- When we talk about inheritance, usually someone has died and their presence is no longer with us. However, when Jesus died, His presence is now with us through the Holy Spirit, he will never leave us nor forsake us. We have already inherited His Presence! People- part of our inheritance are the people around us- at work, school, church, family... Property- In Numbers 26:52, they took a "roll call" and divided the people into their tribes and then according to how many there were, they were assigned property. They were assigned their portion of property. v.5-6: You have assigned to me my portion! My lot is secure! My boundary lines have been set up in pleasant places! My inheritance is beautiful! We are an heiress of God! Our inheritance is beautiful! Over the next week, I will post the 8 points that Beth taught us about our inheritance. Hope you enjoy it!

PICTURES!!!!!!!!

This is Veronica with Miesta Moose! Beth meets Miesta Moose!

They came all the way from Wyoming!

Love the sunglasses!

These are pictures of the Q&A panel during the Siesta Fiesta. We were able to ask Beth, Amanda and Melizza questions, NO, I didn't ask, I was scared I'd cry if I spoke! One of the most important things that I got from this, that spoke directly to me was, do not let you quiet time become your ministry time. My quiet time is my time with God. (Now, I'm adding in my stuff. But I remind myself of this alot. This is where God speaks directly to me and I need to value that most.) But she said if you're in ministry or teach a class, or whatever, don't use your quiet time to prepare for your lesson. That needs to be separate. And start each day, before God, before anything else, give it to him. Even if it's only a minute. Just bow down and give your day to Him.

Beth and Melissa and

Amanda, Beth and Melissa

This next picture is a lady that I was sitting by on Saturday. It was our commission statement. I call it our vow!~ Her and I were loners, so we paired up and said our statements together. We were both bawling by the time it was over! She has a great ministry. Her husband just died several months ago. They rode bikes and they helped with Homeless Missons. She also sells Mary Kay and has been known to go over the the transition home and give women free makeovers. I thought that was so sweet! Of course, you know we love bikers in this family! I thought it was so good of her that she is keeping in her ministry. She said all the people that they serve with have been very good to help take care of her. And, of course, you know me, I didn't write her name down. UGH!!! I hate that about myself! Anyway, I gave her by blog address. If you should happen to see this picture of yourself, would you comment and tell me your name? It's killin me!!!!

These are two ladies from the Siesta Fiesta. Lisa, the Preacher Wife! and Patty! These ladies are so sweet and I'm glad to have been able to meet them. They worked so hard to put this thing together. So did Holly and Kim, but I did not get pictures :(

BTW- I did straighten my hair, but the humidity, oh my goodness! It's awful, just awful!

This is Julie and myself! We are eating dinner the night before it is time to go home. We had such a good time! The waiter took a really really long time so we were there about three hours, it couldv'e been longer, I lost track of time!

This is Angie, Julie, Cari, Kristi, and Shanda standing behind Kristi. This is us four standing outside the Alamodome Friday night after the conference.

Angie, Cari, Me, Julie, Kristi

Saying Goodbye :(

This was an incredible experience for me. When I get home, I am going to work on my notes and soak it all in. God's presence was strong; he spoke to me and I can imagine that he spoke to everyone at this event. I have had a great time but I am ready to see my kids and my husband! I've really missed them all. Tonight I met with the ladies that I told you about in the earlier post and we had dinner. They have been so much fun and I know that we will be friends forever now! We met at the Fully Loaded conference. Now, you know, I couldn't remember all their names the other night and so I need to tell you the one I forgot! Her name is Julie, and when she reads this, she probably isn't gonna want to be my friend anymore because I forgot her name! She has such a great, spunky personality, I don't know how I could have forgotten it! Of course, it is probably because we called her Lion! Ha!Ha! okay, funny story! At Fully Loaded, I took a training class that taught you about personalities. We took quizzes and then it would tell you what animal you were. Well, we were talking about it over dessert that night and we were laughing because several of us were Lions, in other words, we like to take charge and tell everybody what to do. Like I said, I thought we were gonna get thrown out of the restaurant! Anyway, we've pretty much have called each other that all weekend! Or whatever personality was showing up, we'd call it out. Except for Kristi, she doesn't talk much, probably cause she doesn't get an opportunity to with all of us! She's the quiet one. She's a golden retriever. Sweet:) Honestly, getting out of the car tonight was sad. I am going to miss them so much. I really connected with them and it just felt like I'd known them forever. We laughed so much tonight and we were able to discuss what we learned. We each shared our stories and what God spoke to us. Angie leads her women's ministry, so her and I talked about sharing some of our ideas and they had another friend that I met tonight. Her name was Shanda. She has such wisdom and the words that she spoke to me was exactly what I needed. She is a great Godly woman. I am so thankful that God put us all together. Oh and just so you know, Cari and Julie are the crazy ones! Once it hits 10, it's over! The rest of us behaved! :) Cari home schools her kids and she's really smart. Tonight we all passed around pics of the kids. I think were all ready to get back and see them! Well, I can't wait to get home and see everyone. Our Daniel Bible Study starts in about two weeks! I cannot wait to get started on it! I think last I checked, we have 8 signed up at church and around 6 for my home group. Everyone that I talked with here said it was good. It was one of their favorites. If you haven't signed up yet and would like to, let me know. I will see you soon! Bridgette Here's some reading for you. It was our focus scripture from Beth. Next week I'll start posting points that she gave us. For now, meditate on this. Psalm 16, read the entire Psalm, but the emphasis will be verses 5 & 6..

New Friends!

The women's conference was great. It was exactly what I needed! I love the way God works, it amazes me. It really does. I met new friends! :) Some were from the area, some from Midland, some from Oklahoma, and I think the other group of ladies that I met were from the Dallas area. Having a hard time remembering that and I spent more time with them! We finished the conference last night around 9:30pm and went and had dessert at a place called Mimi's cafe. Great place. We had also ate there for lunch as well. That is where I first ran into them but we did not sit together. We actually sat together at the church for supper and then for closing worship. So, since we didn't sit together at that neat little place for lunch, we decided that we would go there for dessert. We had such a great time! Their names were Angie, Kristi, Cari, and I think I've forgotten the other name! I am so bad at that. Maybe it will come back to me. We're going to hook up later this afternoon. We laughed so much, they were so funny! I thought we might get kicked out! I also met a nice lady named Denise. Some of the other ladies I met were Jennifer, Patrice, and there was a lady who is called frozen chozen on her blog but now I can't remember her real name! They were all trying to help me get back to the church this morning and back here at the hotel in time for my lunch at Pico de Gallo! But the times were not matching up so it didn't work out. I didn't want to spend the money on the rental car again today so I turned it in this morning. I had a good morning though. I did some shopping and took some pictures, reflected on yesterday's lessons...you get the picture. Now I'm getting ready to go have lunch! Oh, before I forget I also met these other ladies at the opening worship. I can only remember two of there names, we sat side by side, It was Beth, Bridgette(me), Brenda! We thought that was funny. It was great worship led by Kelly Minter. She has a great voice. Last night, Travis Cottrell led worship for us. He gave us some encouraging words. Remember this particular conference is for women who are leading women's minsitry, so he was speaking to us on that. But I thought how relevant for us all. Not only is he a great singer, he is also a great speaker! Everytime I hear him, he is always so encouraging. Anyway this is what he said and then I'm going to lunch! You all have a great day! There are times when we are called to serve and we can get overwhelmed or think that the job might be too big for us! If God has called you, he has CHOSEN you to serve. Keep your posture. Keep walking in His Power. In Jeremiah, he tells us that He has set up boundries for us in pleasant places! He is with us. Keep our hearts open to Him. KEEP YOUR POSTURE. I. LOVE. THAT. STATEMENT! KEEP YOUR POSTURE!

Learning to do new things!

I had a great flight! I was able to ride first class and I had a window seat! It is so cool to look down at the clouds. Of course, then my mind gets to wondering, What kind of clouds are those? Stratus, Cumulus, then I said okay Bridgette, it's time to start reading your book! I am still reading Believing God. When I arrived here, I took a taxi to the hotel. I had the best Taxi in San Antonio! That is what the taxi driver said! He was very friendly and gave me history and points of interest on the town. very nice! Then I came to hotel, and went to the Riverwalk! It is so neat! I ate at a little mexican restaurant right on the river called Rita's mexican and margarita bar. NO, I did not have a margarita! I would not have been able to find my way back to the hotel! Besides, I'm wired and crazy enough without adding any substance! Of course, as Beth Moore says, We are Women of Means... Women of Substance! ANYWAY, I am leaving in just a moment to go to the women's conference, I am renting a car. so, got me to thinking... I have taken trips by myself before but it has been a long time. The first time I flew in an airplane, I was sixteen. I saved my money and bought a round trip ticket to Houston to see my Grandma. I flew all by myself out there and back. It was fun! I'm so glad that my mother let me do that. I know she was probably a nervous wreck because at that time, she had never even flown in a plane! I have driven to Houston by myself and also had to drive to Greensboro and Charlotte on business. Now, I am doing some other things I have never done before, like... renting a car! riding in a taxi! eating at a restaurant by myself! (I would usually get drive thru and take it back) walking around this place with noone but me, myself, and I! I was just walking up and down the Riverwalk, looking and soaking it all in, and I would have no one to talk to or show, except for God. So, I talked to Him! Don't get scared, they didn't come lock me up for insanity or anything, I didn't talk out loud! Although I usually do! But, I had a nice time yesterday and I know I am today! It's just amazing that even at the age of Sixteen, God had a plan for me and he was preparing me. I had someone ask, have you ever done anything like this before? Well.. some. Obviously, this is a much bigger time span and requires a little more. Of course, I am an adult now! I can do a little more! So, yes in a way, I have done things like this before. But also, I'm learning to do new things! For so long, I was afraid to do new things. So, today, I'm headed to do something else new! I'm going to go rent this car and head to a women's minsitry leader conference with not one single person that I know! and I'm sure that by the time I leave there today, I will have some new friends! Tomorrow and the rest of the trip, I will be with all the ladies who are coming to the Beth Moore event. I can't wait to get to this conference and see what God has in store! Hope you all have a good day! Love, Bridgette

Well, the day has finally arrived! Yea! I'm leaving here in about 5 minutes, (as soon as I get done writing this!) to head to my Dad's. He is taking me to the airport, where I will hopefully get on the flight that leaves at 8:43! That's the bad part about flying standby! Pray that I get there and get back with ease and that the flights are not full! That would be me, stuck at the airport, ready to go and can't go! Anyway, I can't wait to get there and see what all I'm gonna learn. I will be attending the women's leadership conference Thursday and Friday. Friday night and Saturday will the Beth Moore LP event. I return on Sunday. My goal is to be able to blog while I'm there and let you know how things are going. I will probably be exhausted by Saturday night! (but will still be too pumped to be exhausted!) Thank you all for being so encouraging and for the prayers you've lifted on my behalf! Pray for the speakers and for all the ladies that are traveling there and back. Pray that God will speak to each of us. That is what I am most excited about! Seeing what God is going to do next! That it will be a life-changing experience. See ya when I get back, Bridgette BTW- we've been getting the kids up and doing their Bible verse, it's working great so far! Of course, like I said, Randy is the last one to venture in! But they just about know their verse by heart now. and they are enjoying learning about Noah. I'm going to miss them while I'm gone, but I am going to enjoy the break! :)

Level of Santification

I started a new thing. In Believing God, we are challenged to a personal level of santification. So, I started thinking about what I needed to do or to give up. God has been laying on my heart for sometime to teach my children what I'm learning. I've tried different things and it's been very challenging with the age differences that we have. But then, again, 2 Peter 1:3-4 came to me. I started reading over again and ideas started to form! This is what I'm gonna do. I myself will get up at 5:30 for my own quiet time. Then I will make sure everyone else is up at 6, Pat is generally already up but it will take a good 15 minutes to get the kids up. We'll all come to the table and have our juice, milk, coffee, whatever. At around 6:25 or 6:30, the kids should be awake enough to retain something! We'll do a short scripture and prayer before everyone heads out for the day. This has been something that has been on my heart for a long time. Starting off everyone's day, not just mine, with a word. Something they can take with them and call on when they need it. So, here's what we are going to start with. How to be Godly and Participate in the things of God. These are some things I jotted down to myself pertaining to what 2 Peter 1:3-4 says:

1. He has given us everything we need so that we can be Godly.

• What is it we need and what has he given us?

2. He has given us His very great and precious promises so that we can participate.

• What are his promises to us?

3. He has given us examples in His Word of others who have participated.

• Who are some people that have seen God's promises and lived by this principle?

I paraphrased this verse, according to each kid, and wrote it on an index card for them. We read over and discussed it's meaning and the topic that we will be learning about. Then we put the index card in their bookbag so that they would have it with them. We even wrote it down for us and are carrying our index card! We are going to take a few months to learn about different Godly men and women in the Bible. We will take a close look at how they relied on God's knowledge and His promises, and they participated in God's will for thier lives and escaped the corruption of the world. The first person we will learn about will be Noah. It will take several months to learn about the different people because we will only discuss and pray for about 5 mins each morning. Just to give them a nugget for the day. Then once a week, we can have a devotional and go into a more detailed lesson/discussion on each person.

I pray that this will work a little easier for us as a family. Not only is it helping us to have a family moment around the table, but it is also teaching them to start their day with God. It will be challenging at times I'm sure! Rebecca likes to get up early and she's not so bad, Tanner is a little grumpy but then perks up, and Randy, well, he's a teenager! I don't think I have to elaborate futher!

I'll keep you posted on how our mornings go!

Partake and Participate

I am currently reading Believing God by Beth Moore. I am between Bible Studies, just finished Stepping Up and will be starting Daniel in September. I've wanted to do this Bible Study but haven't yet, so I'm reading the book. It is great! I find myself marking and highlighting in this book as if I'm working in my workbook! I wanted to share this verse with you because it seemed to jump out at me, especially this weekend! 2 Peter 1:3-4 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." That was the NIV version. Here is the New American Standard version. "Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." So that we may become PARTAKERS... So that through them you may PARTICIPATE... and ESCAPE the corruption that is in the world by lust. If we want to escape the corruption in this world, we have to participate in the things of God. Our sermon at church this week was titled, A Lustful Lesson! He shared with us that Jesus was talking about the intentions of our hearts. What is in our heart? What are we secretly holding on to? The sin is not the act itself, it begins in the heart. The sin can be anything that is pulling us away from God. God wants to bless us with His great, precious, and magnificent promises. He has given us everything we need, we just need to PARTAKE and PARTICIPATE! Lord, We want to receive your magnificent promises! We thank you that you have given us everything we need to escape the corruption of this world. Father, we know that you have a plan and a purpose for our life. We seek your Will for our lives. We want to know you more. We want to Partake and Participate in the things of your Kingdom. We thank you for your Word and for your knowledge. Thank you, Lord, for loving us. We love you, In Jesus' Name, Amen.

School Has Started!

Well, school has started! My kids went back on Wednesday. I like having my mornings back but right now I have not been able to take advantage of them. I will get into my routine next week! It's been a little crazy around here this week. I took pictures but I can't get my camera to work for some reason, so I can't post them. I've been wanting to post pictures of the FlipFlop event as well. If I ever get it figured out, I will definitely post pictures! The kids have had a good first week of school. Rebecca is loving middle school and has already met several new friends. She is in Chorus this year, so she will have a few performances at the Performing Arts Center. Randy says that this is going to be a good year for him as well! He likes all of his teachers. He started Spanish and he has Stagecraft so he is excited about that class! Tanner came home from school and informed me that First Grade is VERY BORING! (and, you don't get to walk down the hallways by yourself either!) His new thing that he keeps reminding me of is that He is a big boy now. He is almost 7 years old and he is in the First grade! He thinks he doesn't need me anymore! Until it is bedtime and he wants me to snuggle with him before he goes to sleep. Reminds me of the Psalm we just did in Stepping Up. Psalm 131:2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child, is my soul within me. We talked about being like that with God. Weaned and independent, but not so independent that we do not rely on Him. We rest in Him. Still and Quiet. We give Him our day. Independent enough that we do what He has called us for, but Dependent enough that we allow Him to guide us through it. I hope you all have had a good week. Let's remember to pray for our school systems; the leaders, teachers, students and the parents!

Flip Flop my Heart!

Well, the big event is over! It's like your wedding, you do all this planning and it's so exciting, but then... it's over. Now what? I know, BLOG! I was so emotional at the first part of the week, I think it was just things coming to an end. Summer is coming to an end, which isn't such a bad thing, I think I am ready for school to start back. It's fun not having to worry about school and schedules so much. But I am so ready for school and schedules now! :) I am also ready for my house to be clean! Yes, I'm ready for school to start! The other is our Stepping Up Bible Study. I have three classes. Two of them are on Tuesdays. Those classes ended last week. The other is held on Mondays and we have sessions 5 and 6 left. I have enjoyed my Bible Studies and the relationships that I have made with the ladies in my class. I know the ladies have enjoyed meeting some new faces as well. That's why in September we will be starting another one! Then of course, the flip flop event for the ladies. It was so good! We had a blast! I will post some pictures tonight as soon as Pat can show me how! The thing that I loved most, was watching how God brought it all together. We decorated the room with patio furniture and used summer/beach themes. Everyone brought stuff that they had and as we started pulling stuff together it was amazing how one person would have just the thing to add a finishing touch to someones stuff that they brought! Then, also, I was so thankful that God took away my nervousness! Beth Moore talked a lot about that in this Stepping Up Bible Study. In the beginning of the week, I really felt like Satan was trying his best to make me nervous and to stress me out, but I kept praying for God to help me overcome it. I had friends pray for me and I read the Psalms. It really worked! By Wednesday, I was getting so excited, because I felt like it was started to flow! Then Sat. am right before it was time to start, I started to get nervous again, but I rebuked it, and Satan! I said, I'm not gonna allow you Satan to do this. I remembered what Beth Moore said, I'm not good enough to mess up God! Hallelujah for that! I was not nervous, I had a great time and we all did. God showed up and blessed us. I am so thankful for Him and for all the ladies that helped me. There were people who helped all during the week and late Friday and was there again Sat. am. I am thankful for all the ladies who attended. I looked back through the pictures and realized what a good time we had praising and dancing before the Lord!~We had our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace! We put on our dancing shoes, and gave him the praise he deserves for he is good!!! We had a great day Sunday after church as well. Our church held a fundraiser event for a man that got hurt at work. His name is Simeon Young. Keep him in your prayers. He is doing well, but still has a long way to recovery. The turnout was outstanding! There were pony rides, face painting, swimming, hay rides and live music. Which one of the shows was my son, Randy and Meagan from church. They worked really hard all last week putting this together and they did great! To see them at 15, being able to do something like that is great! I was so proud of both of them! Again, I am so thankful that they have people in their lives who encourage them and give them the opportunity to serve God. They are young and still have a long road ahead of them in this life, but we all do. So many times, people don't want to trust young kids (or youth)to do things because they feel they're too young and won't be able to accept the responsibility, but if they are never given the opportunity to they won't and will more than likely get discouraged. Then they are more likely to turn to other things and people, who will give them opportunities and it could very well lead them on a path away from God. I pray everyday that my children will love God, believe God and know that HE IS REAL! I thank God everyday for the adults and other children they have in their lives that continue to encourage and support them. I will try and post pictures later. I hope you all have a great day!

The Lord Blesses King Hezekiah

This is the week of Messy Camp at church and boy has it been a week! I feel like a century has went by since I last blogged or led my Bible study class! I'm continuing this study on King Hezekiah. The lessons that I will be doing will take place in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Something that I learned recently and that has helped me in studying for these lessons, is how the books of Kings and Chronicles go hand and hand. I never knew that until about 6-7 months ago. As a matter of fact, the timeline and the way the Old Testament is set up has become more clearer to me over the past few months. Some of you have probably known that information for a long time but for those of you that are like me, I hope that helps you!

2Chron 32:1

After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah. He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself.

Hezekiah saw that they were under attack and he made plans with his officials and military staff to do what was needed to protect their city and their people. (verses 2-6) Look what he tells them in verses 7-8.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.

The king of Assyria threatened the people and tried to intimidate them. He spoke against the Lord and King Hezekiah. He insulted the Lord and tried to convince and scare the people of Jerusalem. But King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, cried out to God for help. The Lord sent an angel who annihilated all the fighting men and the leaders of the Assyrian army. So the king withdrew and went disgracefully back to his own country and when he arrived back, they killed him. God saved the people of Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem brought offerings to the Lord and gifts to King Hezekiah. He was highly respected by all the nations.

If you read in 2 Kings chapter 20, you'll learn that it was in those days that King Hezekiah

became ill. Isaiah, the prophet, went to him and told him that he was going to die and that he needed to put his house in order. (the Lord had spoken this to Isaiah) Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

"Remember, O Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes."

The Lord sent Isaiah back to tell him these words:

"I have heard your prayer and seen your tears, I will heal you."

He also told him that he would add fifteen years to his life and he turned back time! If you read what happened, you will see that the sign that God gave to Hezekiah would be that he would make the shadow go back ten steps. What a miracle! It is uncertain how God did it, but the

commentary in my Bible said, that it has been suggested, that he reversed the earth's rotation. It went on to say, that since He is the creator, he is the one who is able to make his creation behave any way he chooses! He displayed his power over the natural world. How cool is that? :)

King Hezekiah continued to grow in fame and fortune. He was richly blessed and had the respect and honor of his kingdom. He had silver, gold, spices, armory, shields and lots of other valuables.

"He succeeded in everything he undertook. But when envoys from Babylon were sent to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart." 2 Chron 32:31

Restoring the Temple

There are so many things I want to share with you. God has been showing me many things lately and he's been doing it right smack dab in the middle of chaos! That is what I love about Him! It hasn't been bad chaos though! You know, there is a difference! There is chaos and then there is CHAOS! Thankfully, this has just been plain ole chaos. Of course, those of you that know me, know that my life always has chaos! Okay, I'm just gonna go ahead and give you this study, I've been waiting over a week to do this! Here it goes: 2 Chron. 28:24-25 "Ahaz gathered together the furnishings from the temple of God and took them away. He shut the doors of the Lord's temple and set up altars at every street corner in Jerusalem. In every town in Judah he built high places to burn sacrifices to other gods and provoked the Lord, the God of his fathers, to anger". Ahaz was a very ungodly person. He was an ungodly king and led the people in Israel into Idolatry. He was also the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old. He reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. If you read in chapter 29, verse 2, it tells us that, "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord". In 2 Chronicles chapters 29-31, the Bible tells us that Hezekiah led the Israelites back to the Lord their God. He had them consecrate themselves and rid the temple of all defilement. Then they purified the temple and all the articles of the temple and restored the altar of burnt offerings. After they purified all the articles that King Ahaz had removed from the temple, they placed them in front of the Lord's altar. Then they dedicated themselves to the Lord through sacrifices and worship. They bowed before the Lord and worshiped Him. The service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished. They also celebrated the passover and they destroyed the high places throughout the entire kingdom. Like Hezekiah, we may not have any Godly influence in our lives. People like to blame their actions on their surroundings. They put the blame on people or on their circumstances. Sometimes, we are victim to other people's actions, but we still have control over how we respond. All of us have a choice. Like Hezekiah, we can choose to follow God's teaching and restore our temple. We can choose to bow down and worship the One True God. We can destroy the high places in our lives, no matter how long they have existed. Hezekiah had been influenced his whole life, twenty-five years, to a life of idolatry and rebellion against God. However; he made no excuse, he made a decision to change the way things were, to bring himself and his kingdom, back into true worship of the Lord. When Hezekiah led the people into purification, it was a process. You should read the chapters for yourself. It didn't happen with a simple prayer and then it was done. NO! There were decisions made and then actions that followed. It was done prayerfully, but also done in steps. We often are quick to forget, that there has to be some action behind the decisions we make. There is usually a time of purification. There are often some sacrifices that have to be made. There are some things in our lives that need to be destroyed. There has to be some true worship. When I say worship, I mean bowing yourself before God and giving Him everything. Your whole heart. If you were to study the Books of Kings and Chronicles, you would see a difference in those who "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord", those that "did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord", and here's the kicker, "those who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord but did not do it wholeheartedly". Are we like Hezekiah? Maybe we have faced hard circumstances in our lives. Maybe we have been victims of abuse. Maybe we haven't really worshiped God wholeheartedly and still have some high places in our lives. Whatever the situation, I think we can all relate to Hezekiah. I pray that we would make the decision to restore ourselves and our kingdom to Him. I pray that we would follow God wholeheartedly. That we would bow down before Him and truly worship Him with everything that we have. "There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place." 2 Chronicles 30:26-27